Unusual, Rare, and Unique Baby Names
By Grace Royal · Updated September 2026
Across 21 pages
of 21
Cornish and Welsh place name and surname
"top of the heath"
Penrose – an ancient place-name and surname derived from several villages in Cornwall, Wales, and the Welsh border country of England – would make for an even more unexpected alternative to quirky…
Breton contraction of Mari and Gwenn
French actress and film director Maïwenn Le Besco uses only her striking given name professionally; it’s a contraction of Mari (the Breton form of Marie) and Gwenn ("white, fair, blessed"). The name…
English
"wild rose"
A dramatic botanical smoosh name that's starting to gain attention among adventurous baby namers. If Primrose feels a little... well, prim for you, Wildrose could be a daring alternative.
English, Scottish
"west land"
This Scottish surname is a fresh alternative to Weston or Westley.
Medieval English and Old Swedish form of Adelaide
"noble, nobility"
Adeliza is a unique member of the popular Adelaide-Adeline family. Different enough to distinguish it from all the others? Maybe, and it's definitely got an appealing sound that makes it sound a bit…
Combination of Lily and Mae
"lily + pearl; lily + mother; lily + beloved"
Southern-style smoosh name. If you want to go this route, we suggest Lily-Mae or Lily Mae. Lilimae Clements was a character on the 1980s soap opera Knots Landing
Unusual smoosh of Tim and Marie, Timmarie is one of those unique baby names that should probably stay that way.
Dutch combination of Elisabeth + Anne
"God is my oath + grace"
A bit like Annelise in reverse, Lisanne is a sleek but gentle Dutch compound name that was popular in the 2010s.
Combination of Mia and Etta; diminutive of Mia
Mietta is either a diminutive of Mia (which in the tradition of many Romance language diminutives is longer than the original) or a "smoosh" name combining Mia and Etta. As combined names go it is…
English compound name, Leah + Beatrice
"weary + blessed"
Not quite Beatrice or Letitia, but Leatrice still has a gently old-fashioned charm of its own, a kind of silent movie star aura, as in one of the top actresses of that era, Leatrice Joy. Largely due…
Nature name
A unique compound name taken from a variety of mint known for its medicinal properties.
English combination of Jean and Marie
"god is gracious + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Rather dated smoosh name. The meaning of Marie is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and…
American invented name
This smoosh between Samantha and Amanda might be in for some 'salamander' teasing.
English, word name or combination of Mary and Lee, or Scottish place-name
Merrilee has several different origins. It's an alternative spelling of the unusual word name Merrily, as well as a variant of the smoosh name Marilee (Mary + Lee). Merrilee, Merrilees or Mirrlees…
Cornish form of Guinevere, Welsh
"white shadow, white wave"
Gwenora teeters on the line between unique gem and modern invention. But it's not a smoosh name fashioned from Gwen and Nora but an old Cornish form of Guinevere, like its much more famous sister…
"brook near the hazel trees"
The habitational -brook suffix sends Hazel to gender-neutral territory, giving it a last name as a first name vibe. It feels in tune with outdoorsy and adventurous names, such as Hawthorne,…
Romani form of Hezekiah
This biblical compound was found on a Romani man in England around 1900, but wouldn't be out of place on a boy today.
"rose + banks"
Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman invented this name for their son Jonathan's middle. It's a combination of Anne's paternal grandfather's name, Roseline, and Adam's mother's maiden name Banks.
German variation of Liselotte, combination of Liese and Charlotte
"pledged to God + free man"
Also spelled Liselotte, this is a clunky-but-cute compound name of German, Danish, Swedish, and Dutch origin. It combines elements of popular Elizabeth with popular Charlotte to create a name with a…
"true + love"
Trulove calls to mind Medieval smoosh names like Lovejoy, but it's actually a brand-new addition to the collection of compound girl names</a that debuted in 2023 in the US. Interestingly, Truelove…
